Archive for the ‘charlotte heatherly’ Category

If rumors have it, Charlotte Hatherley recorded this album over a one-week period in London, but even with all the recorded tracks crunched into a single week – diversity still rules this album. ‘New Worlds’ possesses tracks that fit the needs of every musical genre. ‘Colours’ belts out deep bass grooves, while ‘Firebird’ sustains a staccato, theatrical tone. The track ‘New Worlds’ delivers a catchy and upbeat tune, while ‘Full Circle’ provides an edgy, yet sophisticated feel.

Though once only known for her vocal and guitar skills within a group, Charlotte Hatherley has successfully managed to sequester her musical influences and use them in a way that is both unique and apart from other bands. She has succeeded in her efforts to create yet another solo album that shines, with this album proving to be another notch of achievement on her belt.

Over the years, Hatherley has developed an exclusive sound that is heard not only in her voice, but her guitar skills as well. She maintains the ability to rock-out, yet also pull back and present herself as a soft and yielding musician. ‘Alexander’ is the perfect example of this, as the song begins with a subtle ballad extending outward as a petition for her love and understanding to be reciprocated.

However, my personal favorite resides in ‘Straight Lines,’ which demonstrates that a slightly off-beat lead guitar with innovative chords can lend a new definition to the importance of harmony. In my eyes, few musicians maintain the ability to vocally harmonize with the instruments in their musical arrangements, yet for me, Hatherley manages to brush the surface of that.

Though originally named ‘Cinnabar City,’ ‘New Worlds’ seems like an improvement over the original name – mostly because Hatherley brings a new, powerful sound to female solo albums.

For all the lip service paid to spontaneity in rock music, it’s a quality that manifests all too rarely in contemporary rock, indie or otherwise. At some point, the image of the tortured genius pulling out hair over murky mixing-board wizardry dug into the public’s consciousness and became part of the rock ‘n’ roll myth, but if we think about it, we eventually realize that no matter what digital wonders the new year brings us, some part of us will always hunger for raw clarity and simplicity in our music. Look no further than Charlotte Hatherley, who will release her U.S. debut New Worlds October 13th on Minty Fresh.

New Worlds is about “stripping away layers and trying to get to the heart of things”. With this inspiration in mind, Charlotte Hatherley recorded New Worlds in one frenzied week in London – no demos, no overdubs and no time to spare. In her own words: “I wanted to get away from the elaborate and laborious studio record… I wanted something that would hit you in the face straight away”. With her back to the wall, Charlotte created an album that finds revolutionary truth in colors, art and scenes of emotional honesty, and she channeled her jaw-dropping guitar chops into a visceral work that reverberates through the primal parts of your synapses.

After touring with U.K. Rockers Ash since age 17 and departing for a solo career in 2005, New Worlds marks the point where Charlotte Hatherley truly comes into her own as an artist. “The full lyrics to ‘New Worlds’ include ‘we can make, such bright such great, new worlds’ and that’s exactly what I want to do through my music, create amazing, bright and inspiring New Worlds.” She has succeeded.

Watch for Charlotte Hatherley to tour the U.S. soon, (you may have already caught her playing guitar for Bat For Lashes over the summer). Natasha Khan is only one of Charlotte’s more recent converts – Andy Partridge of XTC and David Bowie have already given her glowing reviews.